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Enemy Forces Fire Missiles at U.S. Sites in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON, April 7, 2003  Unknown enemy forces fired missiles at U.S. forces in Afghanistan in three separate incidents over the weekend, a military spokesman in Bagram said today.

In the first suspected attack, two rockets are believed to have been fired at coalition forces in the vicinity of Chapman Air Field, near Khowst, April 5. There were no injuries or damage to equipment reported, the spokesman said.

Coalition forces in Gardez reported April 6 that a suspected 107 mm rocket was fired at them at about 8:45 p.m. local time. Ground forces sent a patrol to investigate in the vicinity of the suspected launch site in a nearby wadi, or dry ravine, but no enemy personnel were caught. Again, there were no casualties or damage to coalition assets.

In the third incident, two rockets were fired at the coalition firebase at Shkin at about 9:15 p.m. local time. In this incident, local forces called in close-air support, and two Marine AV-8 Harriers responded but expended no ordnance, the Bagram spokesman said.

In other military news from Afghanistan, soldiers from Task Force Nibbio, en route to Forward Operating Base Salerno from a coordination meeting at a Pakistani border checkpoint, reported finding "one small weapons cache" early April 4.

The spokesman in Bagram said the cache contained nine anti- tank mines, a rocket-propelled grenade, and two rocket- propelled-grenade motors. "The cache was blown in place," he said.

Engineers from the coalition's Joint Civil Military Operations Task Force conducted quality-control inspections at two schools in Afghanistan, the Altamour Elementary school in Logar Province and the Patkhaub Roghani High School.

"All work met specifications" at both sites, the spokesman said.

The estimated refurbishing cost of the Altamour school is $500,000. Officials expect the project to be completed by May 15. The Patkhaub school is expected to cost $32,000 to refurbish, and it should be completed "within the month," the spokesman said.